State Rep. Shannon Bird on Tuesday jumped into the Democratic primary for the chance to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans in next year’s election in Colorado’s battleground 8th Congressional District.

Bird told Colorado Politics she couldn’t sit back while President Donald Trump threatens “our economy, our freedoms and our future” with Evans’ unwavering support.

“After we’ve seen what this administration is doing, I know that there will come a time in the future when people will ask, ‘What did you do to fight back against what Donald Trump was doing to our country?’ I want to make sure I have the right answer,” Bird said in an interview.

“I’ve got a track record of delivering real results and the ability to work hard, show up and hear what people care about,” she added. “I believe that I am positioned best to take on Gabe Evans and win the seat.”

An attorney and former member of the Westminster City Council, the 56-year-old Bird is serving her fourth term in the legislature and is vice chair of the powerful Joint Budget Committee. She’s the third Democrat to declare a candidacy this year in the toss-up 8th CD, which covers parts of Adams, Weld and Larimer counties, stretching from suburbs north of the Denver metro area to Greeley.

Bird joins fellow primary candidates state Rep. Manny Rutinel, D-Commerce City, and former U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo, who lost her bid for reelection last year to Evans after a single term in one of the closest House races in the country. Potential additional Democratic candidates include term-limited State Treasurer Dave Young, a former state lawmaker from Greeley, and Amie Baca-Oehlert, a former president of the Colorado Education Association.

“We are living in extraordinary times,” Bird said, noting that Evans recently voted for a federal budget provision that Democrats and some analysts say could throw more than 100,000 Coloradans off of the Medicaid rolls over the next decade.

“I couldn’t sit back,” Bird said. “Not only do we need to defend the people of our state, for so many reasons — our economy and our freedoms and our future are under attack — but Donald Trump, again with the full support of the current 8th District representative, keeps making it harder for families like the one I grew up in just to get a fair shot.”

Evans, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, voted along party lines last week to advance legislation that curbs increases in Medicaid funding over the next 10 years, but he disputed his critics’ characterization that the Republican plan amounts to “slashing” the healthcare program.

“Medicaid spending under the Republican plan is projected to increase every year, and anyone who suggests otherwise is fear-mongering for political purposes,” Evans said in a statement. “This bill follows through on our promises to cut waste, fraud, and abuse while simultaneously protecting coverage for Colorado’s most vulnerable populations.”

Added Evans: “As the father of a medically complex kid, I understand how significant programs like this are, and that’s why I am committed to protecting Medicaid and ensuring its longevity for the people who need it most.”

Citing estimates compiled by the Congressional Budget Office and nonprofit groups, Bird said Evans is ignoring the facts.

“Gabe Evans is already showing us that he’s only accountable to Trump,” she said. “He voted to take away healthcare for over 150,000 Colorado, calling their care ‘waste, fraud and abuse.’ I think that speaks volumes about where Gabe Evans is coming from.”

Bird launched her campaign with endorsements from more than 60 current and former elected officials and community leaders, including several Democrats who weighed campaigns for the seat held by Evans. Among her supporters are state House Speaker Julie McCluskie, former Senate President Steve Fenberg, University of Colorado Regent At-large Elliott Hood, Fort Collins Mayor Jeni Arndt and State Board of Education members Karla Esser, Kathy Gebhardt and Kathy Plomer.

Adams County Commissioner Julie Duran Mullica, who considered joining the 8th CD primary earlier this year, called Bird a “proven leader” who can deliver for Colorado.

“We need a leader in Congress who doesn’t just talk about change — someone who knows how to deliver it,” Mullica said in a statement released by Bird’s campaign. “Shannon has taken on some of the toughest policy challenges at both the local and state level — and she’s delivered real results. With experience in local and state government, she understands our communities from the ground up and knows how to navigate complex systems to get things done.”

Bird told Colorado Politics that her experience holding more than 90 town halls and leading consequential legislation — including to fully fund K-12 education in Colorado and to boost construction of condominiums and other starter homes — sets her apart from her primary rivals and potential 2026 general election opponent.

“I’m going to win the primary because I am a strong Democrat with a proven track record of delivering results in this community,” she said. “I’ve been a member of this party since I was old enough to vote, and I know how to make connections with hard-working Coloradans. My reputation is one of somebody who shows up, listens and solve problems.”

Bird noted that she was raised in Reno, Nevada, by a single mother and her grandmother, who worked as a dealer in the casinos and used her tip money to help Bird pay her college tuition.

“I definitely know what it’s like to scrape by and make sure that we are making the world better for people and easier,” she said. “If you work hard, you should have access to the American dream.”

Bird got an undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado in Boulder and earned graduate degrees from the University of Colorado in Denver. She got her law degree from the University of Denver law school. She lives in Westminster with her husband and their two children.